Responses
to the Church Syndrome Article
----- Original Message -----
From: James King
To: AdventistHotIssues@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 11:03 AM
Subject:
Re: [AdventistHotIssues] Church Syndrome and Matt.
23:15
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James' general observations concerning: https://omega77.tripod.com/churchsyndrome.htm Excerpt: I have attended a lot of SDA Evangelistic
meetings in my life. I have noticed a common occurrence that is so common to
all such meetings that one could properly refer to it as a syndrome. Here is how it
works. Folk respond to the three angel’s messages and join the SDA church.
They are on fire for the truth. Like one man I knew, Rod Jacobs, they want to tell
everyone they know the good news. Rod would excitedly tell the truth to his
doctor, his dentist, his nurses and anyone who would listen to him. But a strange phenomenon takes place. The Laodicean (do
nothing) members of the church feel rebuked by the intensity of the new
converts and in very sure but subtle ways they move to cool the fires of the
new converts and their new, first love, Ephesus experience so that the new
converts are soon just as indifferent as the Laodicean foolish virgin do
nothings. This is part of the process by which new converts to the church
are made twice the child of hell. ... ************* Regarding the portion in RED, (above), Perhaps the most visible way
understanding what is being stated, is this: Think back to when You first
became a SDA. Chances are, you most likely did so from a result of "Revelation
Seminars". Do you remember when you first came to a significant
"understanding" of the Sabbath Issue, and the Mark
of the Beast Issue? -- And I would be willing to venture that
you (like me), one day told your new-found Church Family that you
thought it would be a good idea to "saturate" the Media (TV,
Radio, Newspapers, Billboards, etc...), with relevent
information concerning these topics. -- And I would be just as willing to
venture that you were informed by your Church Family that such
thinking was not a "good idea", and that you
shouldn't "rock the boat". ---- Which of course, you [and I]
accepted that "counsel", (who are we kidding? you and I both
know we did!), and of course, as a result your Christian Witnessing
[of these issues] became rather stagnant. On a somewhat different conversation: Now
it is true that over the past few years the Media has become more and
more "Centralized" (under the control of the very few
elite), and thus, today there are far fewer Less "opportunities"
to utilize these Outlets. -- (Thank God for the Internet !!) -- In
fact, I believe this is indeed part of the very thing Ellen White was
referring to in 5T, when she said: The work which
the church has failed to do in a time of peace and prosperity she will have
to do in a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The
warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under
the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith. And at that time the
superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded the
progress of the work, will renounce the faith and take their stand with its
avowed enemies, toward whom their sympathies have long been tending. These
apostates will then manifest the most bitter enmity, doing all in their power
to oppress and malign their former brethren and to excite indignation against
them. This day is just before us. The members of the church will individually
be tested and proved. They will be placed in circumstances where they will be
forced to bear witness for the truth. Many will be called to speak before
councils and in courts of justice, perhaps separately and alone. The
experience which would have helped them in this emergency they have neglected
to obtain, and their souls are burdened with remorse for wasted opportunities
and neglected privileges. {5T 463.2} --
However, there are several different conversations to be drawn from
this one EGW passage! And I for one would be
interested in pursuing some of those conversations. -- But nonetheless, I do
hope you get the basic idea of what I was referring to. It is also worth mentioning, that there
are some folk who actually did utilize the Media (TV, Radio, Newspapers,
Billboards, etc...), with relevent information
concerning the Sabbath, beast, etc, topics. And interestingly enough, it is
no secret as to how the Corporate SDA Church responded
concerning those well meaning folk! -- But again, that too is something of a
different conversation. Returning to my original Subject matter, I do hope my observation is worthy of
consideration. That being, a brief commentary concerning how certain folk
actually become Laodicean "do nothings". That is, I would reiterate the above
quote: I have attended a lot of SDA Evangelistic
meetings in my life. I have noticed a common occurrence that is so common to
all such meetings that one could properly refer to it as a syndrome. Here is how it
works. Folk respond to the three angel’s messages and join the SDA church.
They are on fire for the truth. ..., they want to tell everyone they know the good
news. ... excitedly tell the truth to ... anyone who would
listen to him. But a strange phenomenon takes place. The Laodicean (do
nothing) members of the church feel rebuked by the intensity of the new
converts and in very sure but subtle ways they move to cool the fires of the
new converts and their new, first love, Ephesus experience so that the new
converts are soon just as indifferent as the Laodicean foolish virgin do
nothings. This is part of the process by which new converts to the church
are made twice the child of hell. ...
This is a great
article, and I hope you will post it on the Adventist fm forum. This could
really help someone there! Even though Gar will attack it, it will shine
through to those God is striving with!! Lynn ----- Original Message ----- From: Ron Beaulieu To:
AdventistHotIssues@ yahoogroups.
com ; Adventist-fm@ yahoogroups. com Sent:
Tuesday, July 13, 2010 5:49 AM Subject: [AdventistHotIssues ] Church
Syndrome and Matt. 23:15 |
----- Original
Message -----
From: Mark TwoTwenty-eight
To: AdventistHotIssues@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 9:28 AM
Subject: RE: [AdventistHotIssues]
VIVID DESCRIPTION OF SOP
A’men Brother George and Sister Lynn!
Ours is a high
privilege to be bearers of the truth and to hold the standard high giving the
last message to a dying world. Praise God we can learn so much from God’s
Messenger, Brother Ron! Together we have a mighty privilege to share even a
small part in giving the Loud Cry to the World.
Steve.
From: AdventistHotIssues@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:
Sent: Wednesday, 14 July 2010 12:13 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [AdventistHotIssues] VIVID
DESCRIPTION OF SOP
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Amen Lynn, my sister!
Amen Brother George,
I agree with you so much!! Praise God for truths given us via His messenger Ron. And yes, what a privilege is ours to support and fellowship with this Godly Ministry!! It is true that looking for His coming and warning others, is our only true happiness here on this "hell" of a world we are on.
Blessings, Lynn ----- Original Message ----- From: George Jordache To: AdventistHotIssues@
yahoogroups. com Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 8:03 AM Subject: Re: [AdventistHotIssues
] VIVID DESCRIPTION OF SOP
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